Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Iowa Hawkeyes (2, 136.5)
THE STORY: Bruce Weber is expected to be fired at season’s end. Now, the only question is how many more days the ninth-year Illinois coach has left. The ninth-seeded Illini will take on No. 8 Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, looking to extend a season that fell off the rails over the last two months. Illinois has lost two straight and 11 of its last 13 after starting 4-1 in league play. One of the wins came against the Hawkeyes, who the Illini defeated 65-54 in the only this season’s only meeting on Feb. 26. Iowa has slim NCAA tournament hopes and would likely need to advance to the title game to have a chance. The winner will play No. 1 seed Michigan State on Friday.
TIP-INS:
1. Illinois has the most all-time Big Ten tournament wins with 23.
2. Weber is 13-2 against Iowa.
3. Iowa has lost seven straight in the series. The two schools have never met in the Big Ten tournament.
PICK: Illini ---
Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Indiana Hoosiers (-13.5, 136.5)
THE STORY: Fifth-seeded Indiana is already a lock to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2007-08 season. Now, the Hoosiers will try to claim their first Big Ten tournament title in school history. The Hoosiers came close in 2001, finishing as a runner-up to Iowa. But aside from that, Indiana has never advanced past the semifinal round in the event’s 14 years. No. 12 Penn State, which finished last in the Big Ten standings, made an unlikely run last year, advancing to the championship game before falling to Ohio State. Indiana swept the regular-season series and won by a combined 25 points.
TIP-INS:
1. The winner will advance to play No. 4 Wisconsin on Friday.
2. Indiana lost to Penn State 61-55 in the first round of last year’s Big Ten tournament.
3. The Hoosiers lead the all-time series 30-9.
PICK: Hoosiers +++
Minnesota Gophers at Northwestern Wildcats (-2.5, 130)
THE STORY: Northwestern and Minnesota are certainly no strangers to each other, but when they meet for the third time this season – and fourth time in the last five conference tournaments – the Wildcats may have more at stake than ever. Seventh-seed Northwestern, which has never qualified for the NCAA tournament, further solidified its tournament resume in Saturday’s 70-66 victory at Iowa. The Wildcats have alternated wins and losses over the last five games, a stretch which started with a 64-53 home victory over the 10th-seeded Golden Gophers, who ended their six-game losing streak Saturday.
TIP-INS:
1. Tubby Smith, who has won at least one game in 15 of 18 conference tournaments, is 34-14 in conference tournaments as a head coach.
2. Shurna is 30 points shy of 2,000.
3. The winner plays second-seeded Michigan in Friday's quarterfinals.
PICK: Under ---
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Purdue Boilermakers (-9.5, 129)
THE STORY: When Purdue last met Nebraska on Feb. 22, the Boilermakers humbled a Cornhuskers team coming off their most impressive Big Ten win of the season. When the teams meet again in the first round of the Big Ten tournament, Purdue will try to end Nebraska’s season. The Cornhuskers, losers of four straight since that meeting, routed Illinois by 23 points before the Boilermakers returned the favor with an 83-65 home victory four days later. First-team all-conference selection Robbie Hummel scored 18 of his game-high 29 points before the break as Purdue raced out to a 17-point halftime lead.
TIP-INS:
1. Purdue has either advanced to or had a bye into the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals in each of the last five years. Conversely, Nebraska is 2-5 in conference tournament games under coach Doc Sadler.
2. With a win, the Huskers would notch their 1,400th victory in program history while giving Sadler his 150th Division I win.
3. The winner plays third-seeded Ohio State in Friday's quarterfinals.
PICK: Over +++
THE STORY: Bruce Weber is expected to be fired at season’s end. Now, the only question is how many more days the ninth-year Illinois coach has left. The ninth-seeded Illini will take on No. 8 Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, looking to extend a season that fell off the rails over the last two months. Illinois has lost two straight and 11 of its last 13 after starting 4-1 in league play. One of the wins came against the Hawkeyes, who the Illini defeated 65-54 in the only this season’s only meeting on Feb. 26. Iowa has slim NCAA tournament hopes and would likely need to advance to the title game to have a chance. The winner will play No. 1 seed Michigan State on Friday.
TIP-INS:
1. Illinois has the most all-time Big Ten tournament wins with 23.
2. Weber is 13-2 against Iowa.
3. Iowa has lost seven straight in the series. The two schools have never met in the Big Ten tournament.
PICK: Illini ---
Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Indiana Hoosiers (-13.5, 136.5)
THE STORY: Fifth-seeded Indiana is already a lock to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2007-08 season. Now, the Hoosiers will try to claim their first Big Ten tournament title in school history. The Hoosiers came close in 2001, finishing as a runner-up to Iowa. But aside from that, Indiana has never advanced past the semifinal round in the event’s 14 years. No. 12 Penn State, which finished last in the Big Ten standings, made an unlikely run last year, advancing to the championship game before falling to Ohio State. Indiana swept the regular-season series and won by a combined 25 points.
TIP-INS:
1. The winner will advance to play No. 4 Wisconsin on Friday.
2. Indiana lost to Penn State 61-55 in the first round of last year’s Big Ten tournament.
3. The Hoosiers lead the all-time series 30-9.
PICK: Hoosiers +++
Minnesota Gophers at Northwestern Wildcats (-2.5, 130)
THE STORY: Northwestern and Minnesota are certainly no strangers to each other, but when they meet for the third time this season – and fourth time in the last five conference tournaments – the Wildcats may have more at stake than ever. Seventh-seed Northwestern, which has never qualified for the NCAA tournament, further solidified its tournament resume in Saturday’s 70-66 victory at Iowa. The Wildcats have alternated wins and losses over the last five games, a stretch which started with a 64-53 home victory over the 10th-seeded Golden Gophers, who ended their six-game losing streak Saturday.
TIP-INS:
1. Tubby Smith, who has won at least one game in 15 of 18 conference tournaments, is 34-14 in conference tournaments as a head coach.
2. Shurna is 30 points shy of 2,000.
3. The winner plays second-seeded Michigan in Friday's quarterfinals.
PICK: Under ---
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Purdue Boilermakers (-9.5, 129)
THE STORY: When Purdue last met Nebraska on Feb. 22, the Boilermakers humbled a Cornhuskers team coming off their most impressive Big Ten win of the season. When the teams meet again in the first round of the Big Ten tournament, Purdue will try to end Nebraska’s season. The Cornhuskers, losers of four straight since that meeting, routed Illinois by 23 points before the Boilermakers returned the favor with an 83-65 home victory four days later. First-team all-conference selection Robbie Hummel scored 18 of his game-high 29 points before the break as Purdue raced out to a 17-point halftime lead.
TIP-INS:
1. Purdue has either advanced to or had a bye into the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals in each of the last five years. Conversely, Nebraska is 2-5 in conference tournament games under coach Doc Sadler.
2. With a win, the Huskers would notch their 1,400th victory in program history while giving Sadler his 150th Division I win.
3. The winner plays third-seeded Ohio State in Friday's quarterfinals.
PICK: Over +++
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